M4 (Republic of Ireland)
M 4 | |
|---|---|
| Mótarbhealach M4 (Irish) | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 62 km (39 mi) |
| Existed | 1994–present |
| History | Completed 1994–2006 |
| Component highways |  |
| Major junctions | |
| From | Lucan |
  | |
| To | Kinnegad |
| Location | |
| Country | Republic of Ireland |
| Primary destinations | Leixlip, Kilcock, Enfield |
| Highway system | |
The section of N4 from Leixlip to the west of Kinnegad is the M4 motorway. The first section of this motorway (Leixlip – Kilcock) was opened on 19 December 1994.
Tolled section of the M4
Under the Government announcement of the pilot projects on 1 June 1999 this project was to be assessed by the NRA for its suitability to be advanced as a Public-private partnership (PPP). Subsequently, the project was included as one of the projects approved under Tranche II of the PPP Roads programme as announced by the NRA in June 2000. The project involved the construction of 39 km of motorway from Kinnegad to Kilcock and is an extension of the Kilcock-Maynooth-Leixlip motorway on the N4/N6 Sligo/Galway to Dublin route. The motorway bypasses the towns of Enfield and Kinnegad.
The PPP contract was awarded in March 2003 to the EuroLink Consortium (SIAC Construction Ltd and Cintra - Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte S.A.) and allows for them to collect tolls for 30 years from that date.
This tolled section (from Kilcock to Kinnegad) opened on 12 December 2005, almost a year ahead of schedule.[1] It is the second-most expensive toll road in Ireland (after the Dublin Port Tunnel). A toll of €3.40 (as of 2024) for cars is charged at a toll plaza just west of Kilcock and at smaller toll plazas at on and off-ramps at Enfield.[2] Between Enfield and Kinnegad, no further access to the M4 is possible.
Eurolink operates this tolling scheme, the first in Ireland not operated by NTR plc. From 2005 to 2007, Eurolink started to accept several tags issued by other motorways such as M1, M8, eTrip and Dublin Port Tunnel tags.[citation needed] On 14 June 2007 NTR plc joined the Nationwide Electronic Toll Payment System introducing their popular EazyPass tags on the system and allowing all other toll plazas in the country (different from those owned by NTR plc) to accept them,[3] meaning that each toll company's electronic tag will work on all toll roads in the State.
In the 1 July 2006 edition of the Meath Chronicle it was claimed that up to 10% of the €420 million road project had "to be ripped up and replaced" shortly after it opened due to rushed construction,[citation needed] however this cost would have had to be carried by the toll operators, not the state, as per the contract.
The bypassed former N4 has been reclassified as the R148.
Motorway reclassification
On 28 August 2009, the Department of Transport implemented the second round of proposed reclassifications of dual carriageways as motorways under the Roads Act 2007.[4] A short section of the N4 between Kinnegad (J12) and McNead's Bridge (J13) was affected by this. This extended the M4 westward by 6.8 km.
Junctions
 | This section contains a table that is missing kilometre posts for one or more junctions. |
The route begins as a dual carriageway at junction 7 of the M50, becoming a motorway after junction 5. It then becomes a dual carriageway after junction 13. After Mullingar, it becomes a regular national road.
| County | km | mi | Junction | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 |  R 148 – Celbridge, Leixlip (westbound)
|
Heading eastbound, both destinations are followed by the (East) cardinal direction.
Continues as N4 dual carriageway | ||||
| County Kildare | ||||||
| 6 |  R 449 ‒ Celbridge (West), Leixlip (West)
|
Dunboyne | ||||
| 7 |  R 406 ‒ Maynooth, Naas
|
Straffan | ||||
| 8 | R 148 ‒ Kilcock
|
Enfield, Trim | ||||
 M4 Toll
| ||||||
| 9 |  R 402 ‒ Edenderry, Enfield
|
Toll at westbound entrance and eastbound exit slip roads. | ||||
| County Kildare |  Enfield Service Area
| |||||
| County Meath | 10 |  R 401 ‒ Kinnegad
|
||||
| County Westmeath | 11 |  M 6 ‒ Galway, Athlone
|
Tullamore (N52) | |||
| 12 | R 148 ‒ Kinnegad, Galway (M6)
|
Westbound entrance and eastbound exit only. | ||||
| 13 | L 1025 ‒ Coralstown | LILO junction. Continues as N4 dual carriageway. | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| ||||||
- ^ Cassidy, Luke (12 December 2005). "Kilcock–Kinnegad road opens ahead of schedule". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "Tolls applicable for 2023 - M4 Kilcock - Enfield - Kinnegad Motorway". Transport Infrastructure Ireland. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
- ^ "Press Releases - National Roads Authority". Archived from the original on 2007-11-18. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
- ^ "S.I. No. 255/2009 - Roads Act 2007 (Declaration of Motorways) Order 2009". Irish Statute Book. Archived from the original on 23 November 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2020.